Unit 3: Job Interview

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Unit 3 Job Interview

• Text A
• Get the Job You Want

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Preparations for an interview

• Know
• the exact time and place of the interview,
• the interviewers full name,
• the correct pronunciation and
• his or her title.

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Preparations for an interview

• 2. Learn
• proper facts about the company such as
• production, sales ,
• principal lines of business
• location

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Preparations for an interview

• 3. Find out
• why the hiring manager and/or client
  representative is interested in your
  qualifications
• (strong points)

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Preparations for an interview

• Determine
• whether and how the opportunity will impact
  your
• immediate
• and long-term career development

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Preparations for an interview

• 5. Ask
• the right questions during the interview,
• because your questions allow the hiring
  manager to evaluate your professional and
  personal needs.

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Preparations for an interview

• 6. Put
• wear proper clothes
• greet your interviewer with a firm handshake and
• an enthusiastic smile

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Some DOs and DONTs 1

• Arrive on time or a few minutes earlier.
• Fill out the application form, if presented,
  neatly and
• completely.
• Greet the interviewer by his/her last name with a
  title if
• you are sure of the pronunciation. If not,
  ask the
• employer to repeat it.
• Give the appearance of energy as you walk.
• Be genuinely glad to meet the interviewer

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Some DOs and DONTs 2

• Make objective remarks about your present or
  former
• employers.

• Be a good listener and a good communicator.
• And if the interviewer steers the conversation
  into politics or controversial
  issues, try to do more listening than speaking
  since this could be a sensitive situation.
• Always conduct yourself as if you are determined
  to get the job you are discussing.
• Show enthusiasm. If you are not interested, your
  responsiveness will still demonstrate your
  professionalism

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Some DOs and DONTs 3

• 1. Dont over-answer questions.
• 2. Dont inquire about salary, vacations,
  bonuses, retirement,
• etc, in the interview, unless you are sure
  the employer is
• interested in hiring you.
• 3. Dont sit unless you are offered a chair. Sit
  upright, look alert and interested at all
  times.
• 4. Dont lie. Answer questions truthfully and
  frankly.
• 5. Dont forget to bring a copy of your resume

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Some DOs and DONTs 4
6. Dont answer questions with a simple yes or
no. 7. Dont smoke, even if the interviewer
does and offers you a cigarette. Dont chew
gum. Suppose You are now in a job interview for
a position of sales. The interview is taking
place in a managers office. One plays a role of
an interviewee and the other an interviewer.
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Questions in an interview

• Q Can you sell yourself in two minutes? Go for
  it. QGive me a summary of your current job
  description.
• QWhy did you leave your last job?
• QHow do you rate yourself as a
  professional?QWhat do you think you are worth
  to us?
• QWhat make you think you would be a success in
  this position?
• QAre you a multi-tasked individual?or Do you
  work well under stress or pressure?

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• QWhat is your strongest trait(s)?
• Q How would your friends or colleagues describe
  you?
• QWhat personality traits do you admire?
• QWhat leadership qualities did you develop as
  an administrative personnel?
• QHow do you handle your failure?
• Q How long would you like to stay with this
  company?

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• QCould you project what you would like to be
  doing five years from now?
• Q What range of pay-scale are you interested
  in?

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Understanding the text

• A. How does the author introduce the topic in the
  text? Why?
• The text starts with a personal story, which
  could be very appealing to readers because
  personal experiences sound real. They can also
  narrow the distance between the author and the
  reader.
• B. What other ways can be used to introduce a
  topic?
• --Stating the topic directly
• --Posing a question
• --Quoting a famous saying
• --Relating an anecdote or an incident

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Understanding the text

• E.g. Each of the four tips is begun in a way
  different from the rest stylistically
• 1) Prepare to win
• Starts with a quotation
• 2) Never stop learning
• Starts with a surprising fact
• 3) Believe in yourself, even when no one
  else does
• Begins with a question
• 4) Find a way to make a difference
• Begins with a personal opinion

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Understanding the text

• C. The author supports his suggestions about
• job application with many examples.
• Suggestion 1 Prepare to win
• Example Michael Jordan
• Suggestion 2 Never stop learning
• Example a 90-year-old tennis player
• Suggestion 3 Believe in yourself, even when
  no one else does
• Example the four-minute mile, the New
  York marathon and the Vietnam veteran

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Understanding the text

• 4) suggestion Find a way to make a difference
• Example
• New York cabdrivers

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Understanding the text

• D. Decide whether the following statements are
  True or False
• --The writer is the owner of Mackay Envelop
  corporation, a manufacturing company.
• T
• --The answers the author got from the college
  graduate who wanted a job were all positive.
• F
• The answer to every question was the same
  no.

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Understanding the text

• --Todays graduates will most probably have the
  same job for the rest of their lives.
• F
• Employment experts believe that todays
  graduates could face many job changes.
• --The 90-year-old tennis player insisted on
  playing the backhand court during the match
  because he wanted to work on his weaknesses.
• T

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Understanding the text

• --Once it was decided that to cover a mile in
  four minutes was physically impossible for
  humans.
• T
• --Curt Carlson was so happy because they landed
  at the airport safely at last.
• F
• He was happy because he found that there
  were no tracks in the snow when they were taxiing
  down the runway, which showed that they were
  first to be there that day.

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Understanding Sentences

• (Line 10) Had he asked any friends to grill him
  in a mock interview? (paraphrase)
• ask him questions as if they were in a real
  interview.
• grill (infml) 1) question intensely
• e.g. The senior detective grilled the young
  suspect about the robbery case.
• She never grilled her husband about his work.
• grill sb about/on sth
• 2) cook under or over direct heat
• e.g. Grill the bacon until crisp.

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• mock interview
• mock adj. not real, but intended to be very
  similar to a real situation, substance etc.
• war games with mock battles
• a mock interview
• mock marble floors
• mock surprise/horror/indignation etc.
• She threw her hands up in mock horror.

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• mock vi. ??,??
• I cant bear this, Harry! You mock at
  everything!
• mock vt.
• The thoughtless children mocked the queer speech
  of the new boy.
• mockery n.

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• (line 27) The Michael Jordans of the world have
  talent
• What do they refer to?

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• (line 40) But it takes no longer to prepare well
  for one interview than to wander in half-prepared
  for five. (Translation)
• ?????????????????????????????
• What does this sentence indicate?
• This sentence means that anyone, who wants to
  get hired, should get concentrated.

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• (line 74) You see, a goal is a dream with a
  deadline in writing, measurable, identifiable,
  attainable.
• How do you understand ? Whats the
  difference between a dream and a goal?How do you
  understand ?
• A goal can be achieved and realized. The goal is
  not a day dream.

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• (Line 85) Be my guest.
• What does it mean?
• (spoken) it is used to give someone permission
  to do what they have asked to do
• Do you mind if I look at your notes?
• Be my guest.

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• (line 91) I know this is prying.
• pry try to find out detail about someone elses
  private life in an impolite way
• e.g. I dont want to pry, but I need to ask you
  one or two questions.
• He hates the reporters who pry into the affairs
  of celebrities.

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• (line94) Hes living proof that you can always
  shift the odds in your favor.
• odds probability
• The odds are that (it is likely that) he will
  commit the same crime again.
• The odds are in favour of a Russian victory (it
  is likely).
• The odds are against her winning.(it is not
  likely)
• odds difficulties
• overcome the odds succeed although there are
  great difficulties
• the odds are stacked against sb there are great
  difficulties

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• living proof a good example of how true sth is
• Im a living proof that you dont need a college
  degree to be successful.
• living adj.
• a living language
• one that people still use
• living things
• not dead things
• a living legend
• someone who is famous for being extremely good
  at sth and who still does that activity
• living standard
• living/alive/live adj.

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• (line 104)Curt turned to me and said gleefully,
  Look, Harvey, no tracks in the snow!
• Why was the man happy to find no tracks in the
  snow?What does this sentence refer to?
• Because Curt thought they were the first to take
  off.
• One should know how to seek happiness in trifle
  events or in daily life.

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Useful expressions

• (line 15)follow up the interview
• (line29) It applies in every form of human
  endeavor.
• (line 23) as the saying goes
• (line 31) the odds were good
• The odds are that it is likely that
• be at odds to disagree
• against the odds although there are great
  difficulties

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• (line 44) how things would work out
• work out turn out
• e.g. Financially, things have worked out well
  for us.
• (line 47) work on my weaknesses
• work on to try very hard to improve or achieve
  sth
• e.g. A trainer has been brought in to work on
  her fitness.

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• (line 65) take a crack at running
• crack (infml) an attempt to do sth
• e.g. Id like a crack at climbing that mountain.
• (line 76) find a way to make a difference
• e.g. Where you live can make such a
  difference to the way you feel.

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• From the English explanation, guess which
  phrase/word we have learned in this text.
• From ones / the viewpoint (of)
• From ones /the standpoint (of)
• Question sb. about sth.
• Grill sb. about/on sth
• to do something in addition to what you have
  already done
• Follow up (with)

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• Shine in small bright flashes ( a word)
• sparkle
• In sbs possession
• In sbs hands
• better than anything sb. ever imagined or hoped
  for
• Beyond anyones/ones wildest dreams
• In my opinion
• As I see it

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• This phrase is used to introduce a particular
  sentence that people often say
• (as) the saying goes
• About
• In the neighborhood of
• an attempt to do something new or difficult
• Endeavor to do sth.
• to try to find out details about someone else's
  private life in an impolite way
• Pry into sth.

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• Make preparations beforehand
• Do ones homework
• to have an important effect or influence on
  something or someone
• make a/the difference
• to try to get something
• go after
• When a starting gun signaled the start of a race
• At the gun

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• To try to do sth.
• Take/have a crack (at)
• Mobile phone
• Cellular phone /cell phone
• Display (a word)
• Sport
• to successfully agree a business sale etc.
• close a sale/contract/deal, etc.
• Translate the Chinese into English
• ?????
• Hand-delivered

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• ?????
• Prospective customers
• ???
• As the saying goes
• ????
• The odds are good that
• ??????????
• A once-in-a-lifetime experience
• ??????
• Do ones homework

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• ????
• Go after
• ????
• Switch sides
• ????
• Develop ones strengths
• ??????
• Miracle of miracles
• ??????
• Accomplish your goals

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• ????
• Make a difference
• ????
• Mock interview
• ????
• Newspaper clippings
• ????
• A manufacturing company
• ??????
• A doubles tennis match

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• ????
• The bone structure
• ???
• A mission statement
• ??????
• Living proof
• ????
• Taxi down
• ???????
• Follow up

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Words that might escape your notice

• prospective customer
• close the sale
• age bracket
• sport an impenetrable,bulletproof partition
• mission statement
• personal mission statement
• taxi
• mentor

An official statement about the aims of a company
or organization
A clear statement about what you want to achieve
with your life.
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Writing Task (200 words)

• Why People Fall Victim to Advertising?
• Human beings have their weaknesses.
• (be popular, be loved, stay in fashion,
  turn to, a sense of security)
• B. Advertisers use the weaknesses of humans.
  (take advantage of, new, cool, hot, stimulate,
  follow fashion, become victim)
• Your advice to people
• (be on guard against)